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Best laptops for business 2016: Best laptops for UK business, choosing from Windows laptops vs Macbooks vs Chromebooks vs tablets

What is the best laptop for business? We find the best laptops for business 2016. Best laptops from Windows laptops vs Macbooks vs Chromebooks vs tablets. Advice on buying laptops for your business. (See also: 8 best powerful laptops for business .)

1. Best laptops for business: Budget Windows laptop

Almost every business will plump for a budget Windows lappy. and almost every business is right to do so. For a little over 200 you can pick up a perfectly serviceable, no frills notebook that will run all Windows software and connect to the web. Basically, it will do what you need it to do, without looking sexy. Potential down sides include weight and heft, life away from the mains. Cheap laptops don’t tend to have great battery life. Also you will need security software, and beware a cheap display that reflects the strip lights of your local Starbucks.

2. Best laptop for business: Ultrabook

Like a budget laptop, only better. And more expensive. Ultrabook is an Intel term for a thin-and-light Windows laptop that offers powerful performance and true portability. Other features might include a touchscreen, or tablet functionality. Ultrabooks offer all of the advantages of any Windows laptops, and more. But they are not cheap. In fact, at this price you may as well plump for a Macbook.

3. Best laptops for business: Macbook

Macbooks are what Ultrabooks are templated on. Sleek, portable, powerful. expensive. But generally great. There is no nicer laptop to use than a Macbook Pro. No more portable laptop than a Macbook Air. And running OS X means you have less to worry about on the security front. Down sides? Well price is one. Lack of Windows compatibility the other. But if you must have a Windows laptop, and price is not a major consideration, you can always run Windows on your Macbook.

New MacBooks in 2016: Podcast discussion

4. Best laptops for business: Chromebook

The joker in the pack. Chromebooks are laptops that run Google’s Chrome OS. In essence, they use Google Docs, Gmail and other Google tools instead of Windows or Mac software. You can use them when offline, but really they need a regular connection to the web to work. But Chromebooks are super cheap, as well as stylish and powerful. And there are no real security worries. Just don’t use a Chromebook if you need to use Windows, Office or any other Microsoft software. (Or games.) (For more, see: Review: Dell Chromebook 13 .)

5. Best laptops for business: Linux laptop

Another option if you can escape the world of Windows or OS X is Linux. A quick Google Shopping search throws up multiple laptops from the likes of Lenovo, HP and Acer that run on a Linux OS. Linux OSes vary, but in general the open source software is similar to Windows in look, feel and functionality. And being open source it can be tweaked to suit your business’ needs. There is no software licence fee, so the same hardware is often cheaper running Linux that it is Windows or OS X. And you don’t have the same security needs as you do in Windows. But compatiblity is an issue, with both software and other devices. Choice is limited. And you will get funny looks off your colleagues.

6. Best laptops for business: tablet

Microsoft would have you believe that the Surface Pro is the tablet that can replace your laptop. Apple makes similar claims about the iPad Pro. And there are myriad Windows tablets trying to squeeze in to the space. The truth is that if your major concern is portability, the Surface Pro in particular is a stunning device. Just expect to get what you pay for, and understand that the best laptop for using on your lap will always be. a laptop. (See also: iPad Pro vs Surface Pro for business .)